Editor’s Note: Here at the Penn Memory Center, the communications team has been trying out a weekly letter we call “Sunday Reads” to keep you updated on what’s been happening and what we’re currently reading in our office. To see this in your inbox first, fill out your name and email address at the top of your screen or email joyce.lee2@uphs.upenn.edu.
We have some exciting news: Time Out is back!
The mentorship and respite care program, which launched in 1986, went on a three-year hiatus, but we’re thrilled to help the Temple University Intergenerational Center bring it back in the spring.
We’re constantly talking about the challenges of caregiving and how we can overcome them. Time Out is just one example of that effort. PMC-trained college students will be matched with older adults in Philadelphia to provide affordable, in-home engagement such as conversation, reading, and laundry, among other interactions.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this solution to an unmet need,” said PMC Executive Director Felicia Greenfield, MSW, LCSW. “Intergenerational programming is a powerful way to bring people together. Traditional respite care can be cost-prohibitive for many Philadelphians, and we are pleased to deliver high-quality, affordable care to families while providing meaningful work and training to the future generation of geriatric practitioners.”
Another, less direct way to ease the responsibility of caregiving is through “adaptive clothing.” This describes pants, tops, and accessories that are easier to take on and off than standard clothing. For example, pants might include magnetic or Velcro closures instead of a zipper.
PMC Assistant Director for Care Programs Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW*, spoke to AARP about the importance of feeling capable to help your loved one doing tasks, such as helping them get dressed.
“Not feeling comfortable or confident helping a loved one with their care needs. . .can sometimes be the breaking point for families, in terms of feeling unable to care for them at home anymore,” Lynn told AARP.
(*A quick side note to offer a hearty congratulations to Alison, who just passed her licensing exam and is now a licensed clinical social worker! Alison is an asset to our organization and a great help to many of our patients and research participants.)
Interestingly enough, there’s not as much buzz on the internet about adaptive clothing, as we on the communications team thought there would be. If you or a loved one has ever purchased or worn this type of clothing, feel free to email us. We’d love to hear about your experience.
In a recent New York Times article, Sandeep Jauhar, MD, discussed his family members’ experience of caring for their mother, who has Parkinson’s disease, and father, who is forgetful. He details the daily responsibilities of caregiving, such as dressing, administering medications, and a long-list of other duties.
“The work takes its toll,” he writes. “Having a sick and elderly loved one is often a full-time job.”
Upcoming Events
The Ralston Center is hosting a free event, “Caring for an Older Adult with Dementia” on Wednesday, October 24, 11-12:30 p.m. Registration is required.
The Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at Penn will be holding its 2018 Marian S. Ware Research Retreat: “The Molecular Biology of Aging and Neurodegeneration” on Thursday, October 25, 8:30 a.m.- 4:10 p.m. It’s free, but registration is required. Specific details about the event can be found here.
Our weekly Dance for Health session is on Saturday, October 27 from 10-11:30 a.m. More information can be found here.
Sincerely,
The PMC Communications Team
Terrence Casey, Joyce Lee, Janissa Delzo, Linnea Langkammer, and Sharnita Midgett